San Gimignano

The skyline of the small medieval hillside town is dominated by 14 towers, most of them built in the 13th century. Back in the day the town used to have 72 towers. They were considered to symbolize wealth and power among the merchants and nobles of the time. The town was a major center until 1348 when the plague wiped out much of the population. In july the town became somewhat crowded after midday but the crowds were nothing compared to Siena or Florence. The historic center of San Gimignano is a UNESCO world heritage site.

You can purchase fresh produce at the Thursday morning market (Piazza della Erbe).